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Re: Southbound 2012

1-1/4" frames Mark? Are you using "standard" 8 frame boxes or have you made something special? I see 9 frames in 2 of your pictures which is cool. Assuming that you are using 1-1/4" frames or something similar what benefits have you noticed and how is it that being commercial you are able to do it?

Re: Southbound 2012

Those are nine frames in a ten frame box. I haven't noticed anything special. I'm just a beekeeper and don't notice things others seem to. This hive is alive and strong w/ bees and had plenty to eat, but no capped brood. That's what I notice and feel good about. As far as the width of any of those frames, they are probably all slightly different. Seems logical to me.

Re: Southbound 2012

I'm sorry Mark I'm not trying to be a pain but honstly have enjoyed this thread!!! I have learned some things from it and want to continue to learn. I haven't seen a picture of a winter cluster like that from the bottom before. If I may ask another question. . . why do you run 9 in a 10 frame box? I am not a commercial guy and I can't even say I'm a sideliner, but would love to be in the future. To be honest, I would like to understand what seems logical to you for my own education.

Re: Southbound 2012

Originally Posted by delber

I'm sorry Mark I'm not trying to be a pain but honstly have enjoyed this thread!!! I have learned some things from it and want to continue to learn. I haven't seen a picture of a winter cluster like that from the bottom before. If I may ask another question. . . why do you run 9 in a 10 frame box? I am not a commercial guy and I can't even say I'm a sideliner, but would love to be in the future. To be honest, I would like to understand what seems logical to you for my own education.

No problem delber. I apologize if my reply came off as though I were bothered. I always l;ike questions.

A number of different reasons I guess. I use feeders in most of my hives, so in those I will have a feeder and 8 frames. Or, if they fit w/out too much trouble, 9. For the boxes w/out feeders I will run 10 frames as long as they fit w/out too much trimming of propolis from the end bars, otherwise 9. Those are my deeps. Sometimes I run out of comb and want to make a split, so I will rob a frame here and a frame there, leaving 9 in a ten frame box. So I end up w/ 9.

All of my mediums were honey supers and they may still get used for honey supers, so they have 9 frames.

I'm not very deep w/ reasons why so much. I just do what needs doing when it needs doing and don't think too much about why. I do spend some time wondering what I should be doing or what I should do next. Then I get my hands and head into the bees and they tell me.

Re: Southbound 2012

Attachment 3651Not mine, a friends. There are twice that many in the yd. We fed two patties to each hive, unless it was dead, no patty, or weak, one patty. Not very many of either of those. Lots of good bees in his yds.

On the way home I talked w/ a PA bkpr who has lost 2/3s of his 1500 colonies to who knows what. I am hearing such stories from around the States. He mentioned the possibility that the Borders w/ Canada and Mexico might be opened to supply bees to CA Almonds. Anybody else hear stories like that?

Re: Southbound 2012

If you remember from yesterday - you also talked to a NC beekeeper who told you of some huge losses in the area during the past 12 months..... I am beginning to think something is going on - not just normal beekeeper rumors.

“Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you have travelled.” - The Quran